Joint union call for significant increase in school funding

Four education unions – ASCL, NAHT, NASUWT and NEU - have written to the Chancellor making the case for a significant increase in school funding as part of the Autumn Statement on 22 November.   

The unions are asking for £1.7 billion in 2024-25, stating that without an increase in funding, schools may not be able to recruit or retain teachers, and will begin to cut essential provision in order to survive.

The letter says: "We are deeply concerned that following the correction of an accounting error, mainstream schools’ funding via the National Funding Formula will only rise by an average 1.9 per cent per pupil next year. This is well below the current rate of inflation and will place even greater pressure on already over-stretched school budgets. Currently schools will only be able to afford a staff pay rise of one per cent in September 2024. We welcome your decision to substantially increase the level of the National Minimum Wage in April 2024; however, schools will not be able to afford this without an increase in school funding.

"We believe that you need to address the lack of education investment. Currently we spend just 3.9 per cent of national income on education. This is the lowest proportion for more than twenty years and compares poorly with other developed nations, the OECD average is 5 per cent. England’s schools have the largest primary class sizes in Europe and secondary class sizes are the highest since records began more than forty years ago.

"We call on you to prioritise education in your autumn statement. We currently expect schools’ costs to rise by at least 5.8 per cent in 2024-25, in the event of a pay award equivalent to that awarded in 2023-24. This overall increase in schools’ costs will require an increase in school funding of at least £1.7bn in 2024-25 in order to recruit and retain teachers and protect schools and colleges from having to make further cuts in provision."

Read the full letter here.